#TikTokBan: India’s TikTok ban hits Apple and Google app store
New Delhi, Apr 17: The controversial app Tik Tok is in the legislative scrutiny after the Madras high Court requested Government to ban this app. So finally today, TikTok, the Chinese Video app has been removed from the Google and Apple app stores in India.
The removal of the app follows a request to the tech giants from the Indian government to stand by a court ruling, which stated the application encouraged pornography.
Google has blocked access to the hugely popular video app TikTok in India to fulfill with a state court’s directive to forbid its downloads. The move comes hours after a court in Tamil Nadu state refused a request by China’s Bytedance Technology to suspend a ban on its TikTok app, putting its future in one of its key markets in doubt.
On the 4th April, Madras High Court requested Central government to ban TikTok. The issue raised after the Supreme Court of India refused to entertain a plea hearing on Madras High Court’s ban order.
Today it is a significant blow to the app when Apple and Google also removed it from stores. As per the IT Ministry’s official statement, The central government had sent a letter to Apple and Google to abide by the state court’s order.
What is TikTok?
Within a few months, TikTok, Chinese audio app becomes hugely popular in the Indian users, with monthly 54 million active users. This app was owned and operated by China’s Bytedance’. This app allows users to create and share short video clips with special effects and sounds.
On this app, Madras High Court presented a plea that this app is spoiling and misleading the minds of Children, making them the victim of cybercrime. This plea also purported that TikTok encourages ‘Paedophiles’ and with increasing popularity, there is a significant increase in users who solicit explicit images of boys and girls.
On this issue, Madras high court said, “Majority of teens are playing pranks and guffing around with duet videos and sharing with split screen to the strangers, the children who use the said application are vulnerable and may expose them to sexual predators.
There are cases where people lost lives due to TikTok. As per the Tamil Nadu helpline, 36 calls were received by them about bullying and harassment through the app.